Remembering the March 2008 Atlanta Tornado

Thursday, March 14 marked the fifth anniversary of a tornado that struck the heart of Atlanta, Georgia, the first tornado on record to hit Downtown Atlanta.

On a balmy and humid March evening, a supercell thunderstorm developed in northwest Georgia, strengthening as it moved southeast. The storm produced severe hail (1-inch diameter or greater) in Cobb county, prompting a severe thunderstorm warning.

By 9:30 p.m., the supercell moved southeast into the heart of Downtown Atlanta. According to the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, at approximately 9:38 p.m., the storm spawned a tornado that first touched down in Vine City, a neighborhood just west of the downtown district.

The tornado then tracked over the Georgia World Congress Center, about 100 yards north of the Georgia Dome during the SEC Basketball tournament. In addition, the tornado was in close proximity to CNN/Omni complex and Philips Arena, where an NBA game was underway.

The tornado damaged several notable buildings, including knocking windows out of the Equitable bank tower and the Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel. The twister continued to track toward the east, crossing over the I-75/I-85 connector into Oakland Cemetery, damaging warehouses and the Cotton Mill Lofts along the way. The tornado finally lifted just after crossing into extreme western DeKalb County.

One person lost their life during the event, and another 23 people were injured due to the storm.

At least 50 homes were damaged throughout the tornado's 6-mile track. The twister's maximum wind speeds were estimated at 130 mph, making it an EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale. At the moment the tornado moved across the Georgia World Congress Center and into the CNN/Omni complex, the twister's width was about 100 yards wide and produced winds speeds near 120 mph.

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